It was 1920 for American women. For the United Kingdom, it was 1928. And for the women of Saudi Arabia, 2015 will mark that historical moment for the Middle East.
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia said women will be granted the right to vote in 2015, when the next nationwide local elections take place. In a culture guided by the traditions of the Wahhabi interpretation of Sunni Islam, women have faced challenges and restrictions over time, such as driving legally without a male’s consent and standing in office (which will be altered in 2015, so that women may run for municipal offices, according to King Abdullah), and in respect to this, the Middle East has been looked upon negatively.
In light of this recent announcement, this small measure in the extension of women’s rights in Saudi Arabia is something to be celebrated. But it is important to realize that it will still be a long haul to pull Saudi Arabian women out of the oppression that they face daily.
From shopping choices and travel arrangements to elective surgery and marital status, women still fall under the legal guardianship of their fathers or spouses. This way of social structure, which stemmed from social conventions, more so than religious standard, makes the enactment of the law seem insignificant to the institution that had been set in place for decades.
Specifically, women’s rights are still so severely inhibited such that even if they do gain the right to participate in the election process, they may not get to drive to their nearest voting station without a male’s consent.
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Though the oppression of women’s liberties will not be immediately lifted through the enactment of their suffrage, it is a critical step symbolically. In regards to a tradition that has been ingrained in a society for decades, societal standards cannot be uprooted overnight. Making a vast difference in these social customs can only come through time and incremental changes.
So, today, we might only see an open window to women’s rights in the Middle East, but at some point in our lifetimes, we may see a woman drive to the polls to vote — anywhere in the world.
